


Long Way Home

by CarpeDM



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Confessions, Cupid - Freeform, Jasico - Freeform, M/M, Prompt Fill, Reunion, Ten Years Later
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-03-26
Packaged: 2018-03-19 16:25:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3616470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarpeDM/pseuds/CarpeDM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on this prompt: </p><p>Later some years, Nico and Jason talk about the Cupid thing, and Jason confesses it had brought about a realization of his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Way Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Queenie_Mab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queenie_Mab/gifts).



> Prompt fill for the lovely Queenie_Mab!

Ten years.

That’s how long he hadn’t seen any of the other demigods. He’d stayed at camp for a few years after the second war, but eventually all his friends had left to go off to college and pursue their own dreams, and he had nothing left to stay for.

While those last few years after the war with Gaea had been nothing short of wonderful, he’d closed the book on that chapter in his life. At first everyone had kept in touch, mostly via Iris-Message, but over the years they had drifted apart and all contact had stopped. This held true for everyone, not just for him. He found some comfort in that knowledge, knowing that it was time and distance that had eroded the friendships that they’d formed, instead of a general dislike for who he was.

At twenty-eight years old, he was an adult now, and he was no longer the gloomy kid he used to be. The years after the war had helped him see that he was worth something; that he was worthy of having friendships, a home, and love.

Two months ago, he’d gotten a letter in the mail. He didn’t quite know how anyone knew his address, but he suspected that someone had bribed Hermes into delivering it.

It was an invitation. An invitation to a reunion of demigods who had been campers during the two wars, both Roman and Greek.

While his younger self would have crumpled up the invitation without a second thought, he was actually excited at the prospect of seeing everyone again, catching up with everyone who’d been so important to him in his youth.

So here he was, in the middle of the greens at Camp Half-Blood. Nostalgia washed over him as he looked upon the Hades cabin; the place he’d eventually come to know as home.

He could hear music in the distance, see the light of the campfire reflecting in the trees, and smell the ever-present scent of fresh strawberries that clung to camp like a warm blanket.

When he got to the campfire, he had to stop and marvel for a moment. Even after all these years, it was still a sight to behold.

It wasn’t long until he was noticed. Over the years, he’d had quite the growth spurt, and it wasn’t as easy to stay hidden in the shadows as it once had been.

He had a few drinks here and there, getting roped into conversation after conversation, learning where each of his old friends had ended up, where they lived, what they did, and how many kids they had.

It was getting a bit overwhelming, hearing about everyone’s perfect life, and how they settled down all over the world and had lots of adorable little kids.

He needed a break, and he found himself wandering towards Fireworks Beach. He needed some fresh air, and a chance to clear his head.

As the sound of waves lapping at the shore got louder, he could see a figure standing tall with their feet in the surf.

He debated going back to the party, or maybe someplace else when the figure turned around and raised a hand in greeting.

There was only one person whose hair would appear to glow under the moonlight, and when he stepped closer and saw the glasses framing the person’s eyes he was sure of himself.

“Jason,” he called out, with a smile on his face.

Out of all the friendships that had faded, losing touch with Jason had hurt the most. Jason had been his best friend for all those years, but after his travels had taken him all over the world in search of minor Gods, all he’d wanted to do was settle down. And so he had moved back to New Rome, to start a new life with Piper.

They’d tried to stay in contact, they really did, but over the years their friendship had become background noise in the hustle and bustle of daily life, until it had faded altogether. Eventually, so many months passed in between hearing from each other that the messages and visits had just stopped.

The last thing Nico had heard was that he was still together with Piper, and he was mentally bracing himself to hear all the stories about the tiny Grace-kids.

“Nico!” Jason exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. He opened his arms and waited patiently for Nico to step close to him, so he could pull Nico into one of those trademarked hugs that made Nico’s bones crunch.

Nico stepped back, looking his old friend up and down. He hadn’t changed all that much, even now, while Jason was in his early thirties, he still looked every bit the handsome man that Nico remembered. Sure, some lines had appeared on his face, and his smile made his eyes crinkle even more now, but that only added to his charm. His hair had grown out, and there was a slight scruff on his cheeks and chin, making him look a bit younger than he actually was. “Gods, you haven’t changed a bit, look at you!”

Jason’s eyebrows shot up. “Me? Look at _you_! Never thought I’d see the day that Nico di Angelo looked so... well, handsome!”

He would have considered it an insult coming from anyone else, but not from Jason. He knew that the other meant well, so he took it as the compliment he knew it to be.

“Shut up, Grace.”

* * *

 

He had expected this to be more awkward, but it was like they hadn’t spent a day apart. They easily fell back into the friendly banter and closeness that they’d enjoyed all those years ago.

They were sitting on the beach now, staring out across the water while they brought each other up to speed of what their lives had become.

Nico was shocked to learn that Piper and Jason hadn’t made it as a couple. Jason didn’t seem to want to talk about it, so he let the subject drop.

Gods, it was good to see him again. He hadn’t known how much he’d really missed Jason up until he saw him again. And now, sitting here, side by side on the beach, he vowed to himself that he wouldn’t let their friendship fade into the background again.

All those years ago, Jason had been his rock. His best friend through the good times, and the bad. The thing with Cupid, coming to terms with his sexuality, his failed attempt at a relationship with Will; all things that he wouldn’t have known how to deal with if Jason hadn’t been by his side all that time.

The one thing he’d never have been able to share with Jason was the crush that he’d developed on him. While Jason had shown him time and time again that he wouldn’t reject him, no matter what would happen, he’d been too scared to weird his best friend out to come clean on the subject.

“What are you thinking about?”

Nico shrugged. “All the stuff we went through together. All the times you’ve been there for me. About how much I missed having you around.” A small smile tugged at his lips.

“Missed me that much, huh? You really have changed,” Jason teased, which earned him a jab in the ribs. “Alright, alright, I missed you too.”

They sat back and shared a smile, happy to be in this moment together, in the sand, gazing at the stars.

Jason let out a bitter chuckle, “You ever think about the whole Cupid thing?”

“Not really. I try to think about that asshole as little as I can. Still haven’t forgiven him, and I don’t think I ever will.” Nico scowled. “Why’d you bring that up?” Facing Cupid had been one of the hardest things he had ever done, and it had taken him years to put himself together after that day. Jason knew that, so why was he picking at this particular scab?

Jason flinched when he saw the look on Nico’s face. “No reason…”

They fell into a companionable silence. They still had so much to talk about, but it could wait. This is one of the things that Nico had missed the most, where they would just be together and not say a word, knowing that just the other’s company was enough.

“You know,” Jason whispered, his voice barely louder than the sound of the waves lapping at the beach. “He asked me if I doubted myself.”

Nico turned his head to look at the man next to him, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“Cupid, I meant. He said _‘You’ve found true love, after all. Or do you still doubt yourself?’_ ”

Nico scoffed. “So much for true love.”

When he saw the dejected look on Jason’s face, he lifted his hand to squeeze the man’s shoulder. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Shaking his head, Jason answered, “No, no, you’re right.” He heaved a sigh and turned his gaze to the water. “I always thought I did have true love, but…”

“But you started doubting?” Nico filled in the blanks.

“I didn’t want to, but I did. I thought I’d grow old with Piper, and it was all I wanted at the time. I didn’t stop to think about anything else I was feeling. But after Piper…” He let out a pained chuckle. “I fell in love again, you know, but… it was confusing.”

Nico could only sit and listen. All those years ago, Jason had been perfection personified, and he’d never gotten to repay him for all the times that Jason had sat down and listened to him venting out his problems. He was grateful that right now he was able to do the same for him. It would never be enough, but it was a start.

“I fell for a guy.”

Nico’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. _Jason Grace_ had fallen for a _man_?

“So around that time I got to thinking and I should have seen it all along. Cupid asked me if I doubted myself and I was too damn confident to think that he could be right. I didn’t _want_ to doubt myself.” His head was hung low, as if it was paining him to say it.

Nico realized that his feelings hadn’t been the only ones left in disarray after that fateful day. He was thinking of a way to respond, but Jason kept talking.

“It didn’t go anywhere, but that’s beside the point. It made me think back, and that’s when I realized…” He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath. “That’s when I realized that it wasn’t the first time.”

Nico’s throat felt like sandpaper, but he kept his eyes trained on Jason, who seemed to be curling further inwards with every passing second. “Wh-What do you mean?”

The few seconds of silence that followed seemed like an eternity. Jason eventually lifted his head and looked Nico in the eyes. “I realized that all those years ago, I more than liked you.”

This was not happening. He tried to hide his surprise but he knew he was doing a poor job by the hurt visible in Jason’s eyes. “I-I-”

“I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” Jason scrambled to his feet, brushing the sand off his jeans. “I’m sorry,” he said, before turning around and starting to walk away.

Nico was in a daze, but he knew how much courage a confession like would take and he couldn’t let Jason walk away, especially not now. “Jason!” he yelled, as he shot up out of the sand and ran after the other man. “Wait!”

He ran up to the other man and grabbed him by the arm, whirling him around to face him. “Shit, I just… I never expected…” He had to calm down and catch his breath. “You had… a crush on me?”

Jason looked at the ground. “Yeah. Didn’t know it at the time, but looking back on it… And then I saw you again and…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”

Nico shot him a sympathetic look. He could do either of two things now. He could keep quiet about his own crush, go home and feel like shit, thinking about what might have been, or he could tell Jason about his own crush, and how his stomach had done a little backflip when he’d seen him standing in the surf.

He abandoned all thoughts and went for option number three, gently cupping Jason’s face in his hands and brushing his thumbs over Jason’s cheekbones.

When the other man looked up with a combination of hope and confusion in his eyes, Nico threw all caution to the wind and closed his eyes, leaning in to kiss Jason.

His heart sank into his stomach when Jason didn’t return the kiss, but as he pulled away he was stopped by Jason’s arms wrapping tightly around his waist, pulling him flush against the other, and Jason’s lips pressing insistently against his own.

It took mere seconds before they were all over each other; hands buried in hair, clothing and clawing at skin. Their chaste kiss devolved into a lustful dance of their tongues, running over teeth and lips and the roofs of their mouths.

Jason’s arms moved to Nico’s thighs, and he hoisted him up. As soon as Nico could wrap his legs around Jason’s waist, the other man started moving. He didn’t know where to, and he really didn’t give a damn.

His back was pressed into a door and one of Jason’s hands dropped from his thigh to blindly grab for the door handle.

As the door swung open and Nico was carried inside, they finally broke their kiss. As he slowly came out of his daze, he suddenly realized that they were in the Hades cabin; its low green torchlight and distinct earthy smell unmistakably recognizable.

Jason looked at him with one of those perfect smiles on his face, and the way his glasses sat crooked upon the bridge of his nose made him so endearing, that Nico couldn’t help but smile back and press another kiss to those lips.

He was here, with Jason, having come full-circle after all these years.

He was _home_.

**Author's Note:**

> That was my first time trying to write based off a prompt, so I'd appreciate any and all comments!


End file.
